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Lauki Kalakand recipe: Skip store-bought sweets and make this flavourful dessert at home

News9Live | June 1, 2026 1:39 PM CST

New Delhi: Bottle gourd, an everyday vegetable, is usually associated with savoury dishes. Few people would imagine that it can also be transformed into a rich and satisfying dessert. Lauki Kalakand is a modern and healthier variation of the traditional Indian sweet, offering a soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture that feels both comforting and festive. It may provide hydration, digestive support and a calcium boost, though it should still be enjoyed in moderation because of its sugar and calorie content.

The fibre from bottle gourd, combined with milk proteins, can be easier to digest than many heavy flour-based sweets. The recipe requires only a handful of ingredients and does not involve complicated techniques, making it suitable even for home cooks with limited experience in preparing traditional mithai. Try this easy recipe and give a seasonal vegetable an unexpectedly delicious makeover.

Lauki Kalakand recipe Lauki Kalakand ingredients

Lauki (bottle gourd): 500 g, peeled, deseeded and finely grated
Full-fat milk: 1.5 cups
Khoya or ricotta cheese: 1 cup, crumbled
Sugar: 3/4 cup
Ghee: 2 tbsp
Green cardamom powder: 1 tsp
A pinch of green food colour
Chopped pistachios and almonds for garnishing

Lauki Kalakand cooking method

Peel the lauki, cut it in half and remove the soft seeded centre. Finely grate the firm flesh and keep it aside.

Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the grated lauki and cook for 5-7 minutes until the raw aroma disappears and some of the moisture evaporates.

Pour in the full-fat milk and allow the mixture to simmer until the lauki becomes tender and most of the milk is absorbed.

Add the crumbled khoya and sugar. Stir continuously while cooking until the mixture thickens and begins to leave the sides of the pan.

Mix in the green cardamom powder and the green food colour, if using.

Transfer the mixture to a greased tray or flat dish. Spread it evenly and garnish with chopped pistachios and almonds. Allow it to cool completely and set before cutting into square pieces.

With its creamy texture, mild sweetness and rich flavour, Lauki Kalakand offers a refreshing twist on traditional Indian desserts. It is a great way to use seasonal bottle gourds and create a homemade sweet that is both simple and impressive.